


It's a Merry Christmas After All

by Ryter21



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Inspired by Varian and the Seven Kingdoms - Kaitlyn Ritter & Anna Lencioni, M/M, VAT7K Discord Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:06:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28509405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryter21/pseuds/Ryter21
Summary: My submission for the VAT7K Discord Secret Santa Exchange!  I know I'm posting it super late but time got away from me.Just a fluffy little piece about Hugo and Varian's first Christmas as a couple, and Hugo discovering just how different a Corona Christmas is from what he's used to.  He's not complaining, though.
Relationships: Hugo & Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms)
Kudos: 23





	It's a Merry Christmas After All

"What do you want for Christmas?" Hugo stopped short from where he was taking notes on his latest experiment. He looked over at Varian who was leaning over a set of blueprints, calipers in hand and a pencil tucked behind his ear. Ruddiger snoozed in a basket of blankets under the table.

"Christmas?" Hugo asked.

"Yeah," Varian replied absently as he measured something, "I know we're like, two months out but I wanted some buffer time in case something happens. Because something _always_ happens."

Hugo snorted and turned back to his notes, "I don't do Christmas, Goggles."

Varian frowned, looking away from his work and over at his boyfriend. "What? How can you not 'do' Christmas? It's Christmas!"

"I grew up on the streets, remember? Didn’t have any money to waste on that rich person's holiday," Hugo waved a hand. "Besides, it's all over-hyped bull anyway."

Varian deflated a bit, frown turning into more of concerned grimace. He knew Hugo's background, knew the little tells he had because of the life he lived, but there were still things that would catch him off guard. This was their first Christmas together in Corona; really their first 'real' Christmas in general. There wasn't really time or resources to celebrate on their journey to find the Library, so the most they'd done was splurge a bit on an inn and a nice dinner. They'd been so focused on their goal they hadn't really thought about presents.

Varian sighed, tamping down his annoyance and setting down his tools, walking over to perch on the corner of Hugo's desk. Hugo looked up at him with a frown and Varian reached down to take his hands.

"I don't know what Christmas was like in Ingvarr," Varian started, "But in Corona it's a time when family and friends get together and celebrate their time together. I won't press you into doing every little thing my family considers a Christmas tradition, but I'd appreciate if you'd try with this for me."

Something they'd learned over the course of their journey was that the best way for Varian and Hugo to not constantly be at each other's throats was transparency. There were things that would get lost in translation given how differently they were raised, and just how different Corona and Ingvarr was. And while they both enjoyed teasing each other, sometimes one of them just wasn't in the mood and putting their foot down was the best way from escalating explosively.

Hugo furrowed his brow, but he could see from Varian's expression he was serious. "Alright," Hugo relented. "I'll play along. But I'm not dressing up, and I'm not singing." He pointed a finger right in Varian's face.

The younger man brightened, "Deal!" He hopped off the desk and back over to his own workstation. "Think about what you want and let me know, ok?"

"Yeah, alright," Hugo agreed. He frowned, scratching the back of his head. He really didn’t want anything to do with the flashy, overpriced holiday but if it was that important to Varian? He'd put up with it for now.

_________________

Hugo knocked on the door to Varian's house, pausing _just_ long enough to be polite in case Quirin was in before letting himself in. He barely made it two steps in before pausing, brows furrowed. Quirin and Varian kept their house fairly plain, neither one interested in knick knacks or art but there was still that homey lived-in feeling that Hugo secretly relished in. But now, the house was… colorful. 

Well, more colorful. There were ribbons of red, green and gold wrapped around the banister, green fir limbs pinned carefully over thresholds and dotted with little ornaments. Some of the regular household implements had been swapped out for more festive versions, brass candlestick holders changed out with simple, ornamented silver ones. Plain, dark rugs replaced with more carefully embroidered but still functional ones.

He stood there, one hand on the door still open behind him for a moment before Varian came bounding down the steps with Ruddiger around his shoulders, another box in his arms. Halfway down the stairs the younger man felt the chill of winter air and looked over, brightening when we saw Hugo there.

"Hugo! Sorry, I didn't realize you were here. Close the door, you're letting the heat out!" Varian hopped down the last few stairs and walked over to put the box down on the table. The raccoon hopped down on to the table and chittered at him scoldingly. Hugo finally shut the door behind him, swinging his bag off his shoulder.

"What's with all… this?" He asked, gesturing to the house at large. Now that he was further in, he could also smell the faint tinge of cinnamon and pine.

"This?" Varian looked up, then around and then smiled, "Oh! Christmas decorations. It's not a lot, but it was mom's favorite holiday, and this is the way she did it every year. We've added a couple things, I mean, but it's largely the same. It's tradition, kind of a way to keep her close, you know?"

"It's kinda… simple." Hugo said. Then, taking in the look his boyfriend was shooting him he hurried to continue, "Not in a bad way! But back home, when people decorate for Christmas it's really ostentatious! Gold and silver everywhere, crystal ornaments, silk embroidered curtains and gold chandeliers and a tree large enough to warm a house for a month. This just, isn't what I was expecting?" He finished hesitantly.

Varian's face had turned from offended to understanding during his rambling, so he figured he was safe. "That may be how the snobby rich people in Ingvarr do it," Varian shrugged. "That's how they do it in the castle, too, though Rapunzel has made it a lot more tasteful over the years. But this is all we need. Just some color and some light, during the darkest time of the year."

Hugo hummed, taking in the house again. It did seem cheerier. Maybe there was something to this holiday thing, beyond what the elite tried to enforce. He shook his head and hefted his bag up, "Ready to get to work?"

Varian frowned, elbow deep in the box in front of him, ostensibly containing more decorations. There was now a pile of colorful foil that might have once been a racoon, with dark eyes peering out at him. "Oh, right. Um, yeah, I just… Would you mind helping me with the last of the decorations first? Dad had to leave before we finished, some sort of issue in the square and all that's left is the outside of the house."

There really was little Hugo could do to resist Varian's pleading eyes, so he just sighed and nodded, "Yeah, sure. But you'd better make hot chocolate after."

Varian just beamed at him.

________________

"Merry Christmas!"

"Happy Holidays!"

The doorbell rang out as the door closed behind them. Hugo buttoned up the front of his coat, breath fogging the chilly air in front of him. Varian hefted the bag of pastries and sweets they gotten from Monty's in one arm as he consulted the list in his other hand. 

"Ok, now we just need to visit Xavier and we're good to head back." He concluded. He tucked the list into his pocket and started towards the forge. Hugo followed behind; his own bag of goods slung over his shoulder. They'd already stopped by the apothecary and stocked up on parchment and ink, so Hugo was more than ready to retreat back to their warm lab in the castle.

Varian had been right; the castle and capitol island of Corona were decorated more like Hugo was used to when it came to Christmas, but while there was obvious wealth in the ornaments it wasn't as in-your-face as it was in Ingvarr. Corona seemed to prefer pine limbs and ribbons braided on lamp posts and signs, carved stone and solid metal ornaments, compared to the precious stone and metal in the Industrial Kingdom. Banners and streamers were attached to every unornamented surface, and even the people seemed more welcoming and friendly than they normally did, which Hugo hadn't even thought was possible.

He had to admit, this Christmas thing was growing on him. Whether it was his continuously subverted expectations or Varian's obvious excitement, he too was starting to feel the holiday cheer. It was getting easier to agree to various things his boyfriend claimed were holiday traditions, and he was even getting excited about the day itself coming up.

They passed a young woman on the corner with a bright red apron. She was ringing a large, shiny bell with a bucket of coins at her feet calling, "Donations please! Donations for those in need!"

Varian stopped to toss a couple coins in the bucket, returning the woman's bright smile and cheerful greeting before returning to Hugo's side.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"She's part of the charity collection for the season," Varian explained. "While the crown does pay for a lot of things, around this time of year people usually feel more generous. So, donation collectors go around and collect money, and it's a boost for the start of next year."

"And it actually goes to where they say it will?" Hugo asked skeptically.

"Yeah, even King Frederick was good about that sort of thing. There was a reason he was so popular before the whole… everything." The younger man shrugged. "It's the spirit of the season to give, and the people of Corona love to help."

Hugo hummed, thinking. He'd grown more comfortable with the differences between Ingvarr and Corona since he decided to stay, but he still couldn't help but revert back to his old way of thinking at times. He'd always be suspicious of the wealthy, skeptical of those who seemed too friendly and he'd never stop second guessing the crown, no matter how kind Queen Rapunzel was to them. But even after less than a year, he had to fight himself less and less about giving people a chance.

"What are we getting at Xavier's anyway?" Hugo asked.

"My gift for dad," Varian replied, and Hugo felt himself freeze. "I asked him to restore some of dad's old Brotherhood stuff. Even wrapped the way it was, 20 odd years in a chest isn't great for… Hugh? You ok?" Varian stopped, realizing his boyfriend was several steps behind him. He turned to face the blond with a concerned look on his face.

"Uh, yeah," Hugo stuttered, "Just remembered something I forgot. Don't worry about it." He moved forwards, resting a hand on Varian's back and gently guiding him toward the blacksmith.

"If you're sure," Varian was still frowning, but Hugo nodded.

"Yeah, it's ok. So, what did you get restored again?" Varian looked unconvinced but obligingly continued with his story. Hugo listened with half an ear; they were less than a month out from Christmas, and he _still hadn't gotten anything for Varian!_

__________

The light snowfall over the course of the last few days had left the landscape of Corona a glistening wonderland. Just enough to gently coat everything, but not deep enough to really cause any problems with traveling. Hugo was in a unique position to take in the winter splendor as he trudged through forest behind Varian and Quirin on their quest to find the perfect Christmas tree.

"How much farther?" He huffed, wiping condensation off his glasses for the third time since they'd started.

"Nearly there," Quirin replied. He was bundled up lightly with a long sleeve coat and scarf, which was far less than the younger two were wearing, but Hugo comforted himself with the fact that Quirin was three times their size and therefore less susceptible from the cold.

Varian broke into a jog, passing his father and making a beeline for a tree larger than tower on their property. "How about this one, dad?" He asked, leaning back to try and see the top. Ruddiger hopped off his shoulders and onto a drooping branch, only to slip off and disappear under a pile of snow.

"That one might be a bit big, son," Quirin chuckled. He came up to wrap an arm around Varian's shoulders and the young man grinned up at him.

"Aw, really?" Varian pretended to pout, "We could probably manage. We might have enough space to put the rest of the decorations up too!"

His father ruffled Varian's hair and he sputtered, slapping lightly at the hands and trying in vain to smooth the strands out, made harder once Ruddiger hopped back up and attempted to help. Quirin starting walking again and Varian and Hugo fell into step behind him. Hugo took one last glance at the enormous fir they'd left behind before turning back to his boyfriend.

"I know you have a thing about heights, babe but that's a bit much even for you," He teased.

Varian stuck his tongue out at him, "Go big or go home, isn't that what you always say?"

"Yeah, but even I know my limits," Hugo replied, and Varian just laughed at him. He pouted, placing a hand over his chest in mock betrayal, "You're supposed to have my back here!"

"You can handle yourself just fine," Varian ribbed him, "I just need to keep your big head from inflating so much it pops."

Hugo gasped dramatically, swaying theatrically as he cried, "Oh, my heart! Such words from my faithful companion. And so close to Christmas Day! I shall never recover!" He flopped over on Varian who was himself collapsing in a fit of giggles and they ended up in a snow drift. Ruddiger hopped off at the last second with a cry, managing to cling into Quirin's coat and scramble up to safer, taller shoulders. The humor lasted another moment before he felt something cold trickle down the back of his neck and he jumped up again, " _Cold!_ Cold, cold cold _cold_ oh sweet sun-!"

"C'mon boys," Quirin reached down and hefted Varian up by the back of his cloak as the racoon chittered annoyed, steadying him as he tried to tamp down on his laughter. "The sooner we get this tree home, the sooner we can get the decorations up. And then you two can disappear down into the lab again."

Hugo gave one last shiver, his body heat warming the snow melt and brushing the last of snow off his shoulders. "Where's this tree anyway?" 

"Right here," Quirin gestured to a pine tree a little ways ahead of them. Varian brightened, but Hugo frowned at the sight.

It wasn't anywhere near as large as he was expecting. Barely taller than Quirin himself and not quite as wide, the tree was actually rather sensible.

"This one?" He clarified.

"It's perfect, dad!" Varian started brushing snow off the limbs, checking the branches for nests and assessing the best placement for when they got it home. Ruddiger climbed up the inside, swatting at Varian's gloved hands and making the young man giggle.

"It's all we need," Quirin replied. He pulled the cover off his axe and stepped forwards, "Step aside Varian, I don't want to hit you."

__

"Hugo, here, the garland goes first."

"Careful with that one, it's an antique!"

"Why do you have so many small animal ornaments?"

"Mom collected them."

"Tinsel goes on the tree, not my hair!"

"But it looks so pretty on you, Goggles."

"Oh dear, look at that. I better not place this mistletoe in the main doorway."

_"Dad!"_

_______

Hugo was lying in bed, cool winter air blocked by the frankly ridiculously fluffy sheets Varian insisted on having. He could feel Ruddiger acting as a small, furry heat pack on his feet. He wasn't really asleep anymore, just dozing in the hazy place between sleep and true consciousness and blissfully content not to move. He vaguely heard the door creak open but elected to ignore it, hoping that if pretended not to notice, he'd be able to stay in bed a while longer.

He hoped in vain because a hand gently shook his shoulder. He groaned, burying his face deeper into his pillow. He heard a soft laugh above his head.

"C'mon, Hugh. Time to get up." The hand moved up to scratch the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair. Hugo hummed contentedly, tilting his head so that the fingers could scratch right where he needed them. "Up time! Let's go."

"Go away," Hugo mumbled, "It's too early."

"It's nearly 10, I let you sleep in," Varian said. He gently tugged the covers out of Hugo's death grip ignoring the whine it brought. "I've waited long enough! If you don't get up now, I'm just going to start opening presents without you."

There was a moment of silence before the pieces clicked and Hugo shot straight up in bed, racoon tumbling over the covers with a squeal. "It's Christmas!?" He took in the vaguely blurry form of his boyfriend smirking at him and tried to school his face, "Ah, I mean it's Christmas? Already? Does that mean we don't have to listen to those insipid carols anymore after this?"

Varian just rolled his eyes and handed him his glasses, "Yeah, carolers stop after today. But you'll still have to sit through Rapunzel's choir at the party tonight." Before Hugo could protest he kept going, "We promised Rapunzel we'd be at the celebration at the castle! But that's later and now is now so let's go!"

Varian tugged his grumbling boyfriend out of bed and tossed his clothes at him. Grumbles changed to sputtering protests as Varian laughed and grabbed Ruddiger, ducking back out of his room and down to the kitchen. Quirin had been kind enough to let Hugo stay the night before so he wouldn't have to walk over first thing Christmas morning, and he was thankful he wouldn't have to brave the cold a while longer. He dressed, washed his face and carefully styled his hair before descending to join the others.

"Merry Christmas!" His boyfriend called from where he was setting the table with Ruddiger perched sleepily on his shoulders.

"Merry Christmas, Goggles," Hugo returned, leaning over to give Varian a quick peck on the lips.

"Merry Christmas, Hugo," Quirin called from here he was frying eggs on the stove.

"Merry Christmas sir," He replied, but Quirin waved him off.

"I've told you, just Quirin is fine, son. You're joining us for Christmas, after all, and Varian seems stuck on you," The old knight smiled at him. Hugo felt something warm and heavy in his chest and he ducked his head. "Here, can you set this on the table?" Quirin nudged a basket covered with a kitchen towel and Hugo nodded, grateful for the out.

"Sure thing," Hugo grabbed the basket, peaking under the cloth and was pleased to find fresh biscuits. The table was already set with bacon and drinks, another basket of pastries from Monty's on the corner. Hugo set his basket down next to it and Varian beamed at him.

Quirin came out a few moments later with a bowl of eggs and the three of them sat down to Christmas Breakfast. Conversation was light and cheerful, full of good-natured ribbing and stories of holidays past. Once everything had been eaten and the table cleaned Varian ducked into the kitchen just long enough to make three mugs of hot chocolate before returning, carefully handing one mug to his dad who was settled on the couch before setting the other two on the coffee table and plopping down right there on the floor, moving the racoon to his lap. He patted the floor next to him and Hugo eyed him for a moment before bending down to join him - though he did grab a pillow to sit on first.

There wasn't a tremendous pile of presents under the tree, just the few they were exchanging now, and the ones they would be bringing with them to the castle later that night. Varian grabbed the first present and handed it to his dad.

Quirin took it with a smile and unwrapped a small dagger. It was a simple thing, dark metal with a blue hilt and the Brotherhood symbol carved on the blade. "You had my dagger restored," Quirin realized as he inspected it.

Varian shook his head, "I got most of your stuff fixed," he explained. "But the rest of it wouldn't fit under the tree. It's all back in your trunk."

"Thank you, Varian." Quirin reached over to ruffle his hair again, and this time Varian didn’t protest.

The younger man reached back under the tree and took out a package, "Hugo, this one's for you, from dad!"

Hugo blinked, "You didn't have to get me anything." He said as he took the deceptively heavy gift.

"I wanted to," Quirin said simply.

Hugo ignored the feeling creeping back up in his chest and hastily ripped open the paper. It was a book, an old alchemy journal dated at least a hundred years back. Hugo stared at it a minute, flipping through pages of notes and experiments focusing on miniature mechanics and more subtle formulas.

"It seemed more to your tastes than Varian's," Quirin explained. "I hope you can get some use out of it."

"Thanks," Hugo said, and if his voice was tight no one commented. Varian scooched over to lean against his arm even as he unwrapped his own gift.

"Oh, a new looking glass! Thanks, dad!" Varian held the piece up to his eye and looked around. Ruddiger grabbed the other end and peered back into it, chittering, and Varian laughed.

Once the coco was finished and a few more stories had been shared, Quirin hefted himself up to his feet. "Alright then, I should go do my rounds."

"Want us to come?" Varian asked from where he was attempting to hook as many ornaments of Hugo's glasses as he could before they slipped off.

"No," Quirin replied, shrugging on his coat. "You two stay here, enjoy Christmas together. I'll be back in time to head out to the palace."

"Alright, be safe!"

The door closed with a heavy thunk behind him, cutting off the brief rush of cold air from the outside. Varian shivered, and Hugo reached out and pulled him close and leaned back against the couch. The younger man ended up sideways in his lap, legs curled up beside them with Hugo's arms wrapped his middle. Varian sighed contentedly, relaxing into his boyfriend's warmth and nuzzling up under his chin, Ruddiger climbing up to curl up in his lap.

They were quiet for a few moments, just reveling in the closeness and listening to the crackling of the fireplace.

"You know, this Christmas thing isn't so bad," Hugo said, interrupting the quiet.

Varian huffed out a laugh. "Oh yeah?" He asked softly, idly running a hand over Ruddiger's fur.

"Mhm," He replied. "Might even be willing to do it again next year."

He could feel Varian's smile against his throat, and felt him lean back to look up at him. "I'm glad," Varian said, face soft, and he leaned in-

And bumped into one of the carved ornaments still hanging off Hugo's glasses. They both burst into laughter, startling Ruddiger out of his nap. The raccoon chittered, annoyed, and hopped up on the couch to burrow under an abandoned pile of blankets.

"Hold on, let me get your gift," Varian hopped up and back over to the tree, reaching under and grabbing a box out from under the tree. He handed the brightly wrapped package to the blond who took it with a raised eyebrow. 

"This is heavier than it looks," He commented.

"Yeah, it kinda got away from me," Varian shrugged. "I hope you like it, though."

Hugo ripped off the paper, then carefully lifted the lid. Inside was a coat; dark green and made of a heavy wool that would definitely be useful in Coronan winters. He lifted it up out of the box and inspected it. The coat had simple black and gold embroidery along the cuffs and neckline, with carved animal horn buttons down along the front. It would come down to mid-thigh when he put it on, it seemed and had several small pockets along the front.

"Check the inside, too," Varian encouraged so Hugo opened the coat. The inside of the coat was velvet that probably cost him far too much, but Hugo's eyes were drawn to the sheer amount of pockets sewn into the lining. Sticked with sturdy thread and each with a closing flap, Hugo wasn't sure even he had enough things to store in each of them.

"You always seem to have something hidden up your sleeve," Varian teased. "But I noticed it's a little harder to grab things with your winter coat on, so… I hope this helps."

The heavy-warm feeling was back, and Hugo buried his face in the soft lining to hide his expression. "Thanks, Goggles," He said muffled. He felt Varian's hand come up to rub at his shoulder as he took a moment to compose himself.

He took a deep breath and set the coat back in the box. "My turn I guess," He said. He paused at the memory of the frantic trip to visit Rapunzel for advice on a gift, deciding her suggestion of a kid's alchemy set was supremely unhelpful and shook the memory away. He pulled out the last box, messily wrapped with the bow added as an afterthought and handed it over.

Varian beamed a him and took it, "I'm sure whatever it is I'll love it." He carefully peeled off the paper, slow enough Hugo had started to fidget. The look the younger man shot him proved it was intentional, and Hugo gave him a dry look. Finally, the box was unwrapped and Varian was carefully lifting the lid.

Inside were a pile of small parcels wrapped in tissue paper. Varian took one off the top and unwrapped it, revealing a small jar with a printed label. "Silver Lichen?" He read. "This is…" He took out another parcel, revealing another small jar, then another. "Nightshade, pearl dust, taproot… Hugo, these are really hard to find in Corona! Where did you get these?"

"Well, I know a guy…" Hugo shrugged, but Varian leveled a finger at him.

"Is this why you were gone last week? Hugo, some of these ingredients are dangerous to get!" He protested, and Hugo felt the anxiety in his chest rise.

"Look, of you don't like them-" He started but Varian practically lunged forwards, barely sparing enough attention to set the box of ingredients aside before he was back in Hugo's lap.

"No! No, Hugo I love it. There's so much I can do with these, they're amazing, I just- I worry, about you. It'd hate it if you got hurt because of me." He assured, cupping Hugo's face in his hands. He leaned in and nuzzled his boyfriend's face,

"Goggles, if I got hurt getting these it'd be because I was an idiot. Besides, I wasn't alone. I dragged Flynn and Lance with me." Hugo replied.

Varian snorted, "That doesn't actually make me feel any better." They shared a grin, and Varian's face softened. "Thanks, love. I really do appreciate it."

"I'm glad." Hugo felt his anxiety melt away and he reached up to wrap his hands over Varian's back. "I love you."

"I love you too," Varian leaned down and pressed their lips together, soft and sweet. Varian pulled back just far enough to speak, "Merry Christmas, Hugo."

"Merry Christmas, Varian."


End file.
